Silo



June 6, 1933. F L STEPHENSON 1,913,174

`sILo Filed DeG. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Shee l 179.1. ff 10 a y June 6, 1933. r: STEPHENSON 1,913,174

SILO

Filed Dec. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 6, 1933 V UNITED, STATES'. PATENT QFFICE EnANors-L. s'rEPHENsoN, or Altmann., rENNsYLVANIA, assreiion To iarrrruaimant:1

`s'raiir. COMBANY. A coRPoRATIoN or PENNSYLVANIA Application led December 3,1930?. Serial' No. llgfle ing description and claimstaken with the drawings in Which: 4 v Fig. 1 isf aside. elevation oat my improved silos; 1 .o

Fig-y.; 2. is acrosssectionalyiew taken on lin`e-2r2 of Fig. 1; y Figpis an enlarged. sectional.View` ot al plurality ot the `interlocked y comprise',` the `wall structure ot the'silos;. and Fig, i is an enlarged sectional View of one; ot the interlocked joints. f Reterring tothe drawings; more in. detail., 10 designates' the large silos',t and 11 des-igmates a; smal-l silos the walls.. of which. are

formed by a` portiono theA Walls.. ofthe large silos 10:.` i f f The silos are, preferably supported` on girders 12 which are in turn mounted ou suitafb-le' beams` 13, supported on` columns` 1l: so y thatwehicleg such. as:` trucks, wagons, or the like may pass` beneath` the silos. o Chu-tes15 andV 16.` are provided.` to convey the, material from the` silos to the Vehicles., Each et. thelarge silos: 10.y isv constructed ot a plurality'. of. longitudinal metallic` section-s 11', anenlarged; sectional .View ot a plurality of. such sections. being shown in Fig, 3; and areV preferably `mounted on. a circular member 18 which is angular in cross, section andwlrich is supported ou the girders 12. The member 11,8 is so` formed. that its:` up.- turnedyptlange 19 will engage the outer' surfacel of the sections 17..` Ai conc-rete floor isy preterably provided in` each of the large silos; and alsoin the. smaller sil'lnThe floor inthewlargesilos is formed sof that it.. will bind thevouter surface of the sections 17 sections. which againstthe members 18 and thus sup- A portthelower ends` ot the silos.

Each of the sections 17 comprises a web. portion 2,0,` having inclined sides 21 and 22,. each. ot` Whichare flanged at. their outer ends and are provided with a hook-like meualfierl 2BY and.` an` arcuate guard member 24e.` forming therebetween a pocket 25,315 `clearly shown inenlargedsection in 4. Thepocket 25 lia-s `a longitudinal opening` 26, between the ends of they hook flange and the guard.flange` which is somewhat less-in-` Width. than the greatest. internal `wid-chef thepocket. l o

The hook member 23. provided with an `elongated `head.` 28wwhich` is. y sufficiently shorter than theextreme Width ofthe. pocket 25. so.. that the sections will slide freely into place and which. is longer than thewidth of the opening 26 so that the sections can only be placed in` position inserting` 'the head 218. of the hook member 23` of each section into the end of the` pocket 25 ofthe adjacent section..` Therefore duetofthe head 28J of each. section engaging the pocket. 25 of the adjacent section a` double lock is provided to prevent the sections from being separated horizontally.

The inner face of the guard member 24 is substantially concentric with the outer segmental cylindrical face of the hook member 23. onthe adjoining section so that the sec tionsy may be turned one` on the other to any.

suitable position without changing the strength ot the interlocks. o

These sections are especially adaptable. t0 the construction of circular silos., as thejoi'nts arevery adj,ustable,.so that itis, not necessary to dilterent preformed jointsiior each size ofsilo., aswouldbe the casee it other types ot. Well known.. joints` were used... li-urther` a silo constructed. ot this typer of sections; which may be termed self-sustaining, is exceptionally strong as,` the interlocks which prevent lateral displacement of the sections extend throughout the length ot the sections. Further owing to the `construction of this jrointthere is a double lock between each sec,- tion as Well' as three points of contact as clearly disclosed in Fig. 4.. Therefore, very strong jfointY aswell as, a relatively tightjoint is, provided between the sections 17. Anfadditional feature of the sections 17 is that there are no joints on the outermost surface to interfere with connecting the silos together or to interfere with the placing of bands around the silos.

The sections are assembled by placing the head 28 of each section into the end of the pocket 25 of the adjacent section and sliding one of the sections longitudinally into place and continuing this procedure until the silo is completed.

After the sections have been assembled a circular member 30, similar to member 18, is preferably placed over the Lipper end of the silo with one of its ianges engaging the upper surface of the ends of the sections 17 and the other flange extending downwardly around the outer surface of the silo so as to hold the sections 17 in proper alignment.

Strengthening bands 31 mayy be placed around the silo intermediate the upper and lower members 18 and 30.

To dismantle the silo it is only necessary to remove the member 30, and the bands 31, if they have been used, and slide the sections 17 longitudinally of each other until all the sections have been removed. Therefore my silo is very adaptable where it is desired to provide a structure. which may be moved from one location to another, as conditions require, as the main parts thereof can be easily dismantled and reassembled lWithout any diiiiculty. Y In the drawings I have shown a plurality of large silos constructed in such a manner that a small silo is formed-intermediate said silos. The construction of the four large silos .are as described above and they arel connected together byrsuitable fasteners such as rivets 32 being placed in the Webs of the sections 17 where the silos abut each other. Filler plates 33 are provided intermediate the bands 31 and the members 18 and 30 where it is desired to make a tight jointbetween the silos 10, so that the small silo 11 may be used for fine material. Circular angle members 35 are preferably attached to each silo and plates 36 are attached thereto to further strengthen the structure.

It will therefore appear from the above that I have invented a silo which is particularly adaptable for the storage of bulk material. It will also be seen that a silo constructed in accordance with my invention can be easily assembled and dismantled without destruction to the main members of the structure. This feature is important in cases where it is desired to move the structure from one location to another. l

vWhile I have shown my invention in but one form it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A land silo for storage purposes comprising vertical metallic wall sections, each section having integral interlocks along each vertical edge thereof constituting a pocket and a hook the hooks of each section entering the pockets of adjacent sections and the pockets of each section receiving the hooks of adjacent sections to interlock said sections against horizontal displacement to form a closed wall providing a storage space above ground within said wall.

2. A circular land silo for storage purposes comprising a plurality of longitudinal sections to constitute'a wall, each section comprising integral interlocks along its vertical edges and being slidably connected to the adjacent section and interlocked against lateral displacement with respect to one another, a foundation supporting said wall mounted on substantially the surface of the ground comprising a ring member having means to restrict the radial displacement thereof.

3. A landv silo for storage purposes comprising a plurality of vertically disposed longitudinah'metallic sections, interlocked at their vertical edges, each section comprising integral'interlocks along its vertical edges to form a closed wallvr providing a. storage space above ground within said wall.

4. A land silo for storage purposes comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, longitudinal, metallic sections, each sec-tion comprising integral interlocks along its vertical edges, said sections being interlocked at their vertical edges by a sliding connection longitudinally thereof to form a closed wall providing a storage space above ground within said wall. Y

5. A land silo for storage purposes comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, longitudinal, metallic sections, interlocked along their vertical edges, each sec-tion comprising integral interlocks along their vertical edges and having portions offset relative to each other, the interlocked sections constituting a wall structure disposed staggerwise, in a plurality of vertical planes providing a. storage space above ground within said wall.

6. A land silo Vfor storage purposes comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, longitudinal, metallic sections, interlocked along their vertical edges, yeach section comprising integral interlocks along their vertical edges offset from the remaining portions thereof, the interlocked sections constituting a wall structure disposed staggerwise in a plurality of vertical planes the interlocked portions of the sections occupying an inner plane providing a storage space above ground- Within said Wall.

7 A land structure for storage purposes comprising a closed Wall of sheet interlocked piling providing a storage spaceV above ground Within said Wall.

8. In a land silo structure for storage purposes, the combination of vertically disposed, longitudinal metallic Wall sections, each Vsection comprising a Web and diverging flanged sides, and locking members integral with the flanges of said sides for interlocking said sections together to form a closed Wall providing a storage space above ground Within said Wall.

9. In a land silo structure for storagepurposes, the combination of vertically disposed, longitudinal trough shaped sections, each section comprising a Web portion and side portions and outwardly extending flanges at the margin of said sides and interlocking means,

comprising a hook melnber and a guard member, integral with each of said :flanges to form a closed Wall providing a storagespace above ground Within said Wall.

In testimony vvhereol= I hereunto aix my signature. l

FRANCIS L. STEPHENSON.

Patent No. 1,913,174. .lune 6, 1932i.

FRANCIS L. ST EPHENSON.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, after line 60, insert the following paragraph:

As will be evident from the above, the silos shown are not subterranean. While it is obvious that the essential inventive thought would not be avoided by the piling sections being more or less imbedded in the earth, l believe it by far the greater part of the silo proper, that is, the containing portion of the silo, should be above the surface of the ground.

And that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of December, A. D. i933.

F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

